Wichita eagle., 1887-08-16
FROM TACOMA, w, r,

We are permitted to make the following
extracts from highly interesting letter
from Tacoma, Washington Territory, by
MIR. 81. G.. Smyth, to friend In Wichita,
descriptive In part of some of the points
visited and scenes witnessed and partici-
pated in since his departure from Wichita
a month ago for far off Alaska. 1t will be
read with interest by all and his vivid des-
criptives will, we dare say, for the mo-
ment, carry the reader in imagination to
the delightful scenes of which he writes:
We arrived mere Thursday noon and leave
for Alaska tonight by steamer Olympian.
1t takes twelve days to make the round
trip. Yesterday we went out boat sailing
with Mr. and Mrs. Brokaw, who have To-
Gated here. Have met Lee Nixon, Sam
Hovey and wife, and Sam Vandergrift, of
Wichita, and Martin Flanagan. of Ando-
yer, who are here prospecting; all WELL
Tacoma is good town of about 5000 inhab-
itants and will be a good city as the coal and
lumber supply In the vicinity is practically
inexhaustible. There are several large YES
sells here loading coal and lumber now for
California markets. The largest lumber
mill, 1t is claimrd, in the world is located
here, cutting 450, 900 feet of lumber per
day. Wild game and fish abound here;
will take some in when l get back.
We made an eight day trip through the
Yellowstone National park; to try to de-
scribe the wonders upon wonders of that
wonderful region-its geysers, hot springs,
sulphur springs, lemonade, soda, vinegar
and alum springs, etc., would be
simply impossible. We saw six of
of the geysers In operation commencing
with the Constant which throws water to a
height of about thirty feet every two min
utes; then the Steamboat which emits moth
ing but steam, but In such volume and to
such hight as would astonish; then old
Faithful throws up its stream of water reg
uiarly every hour for about four and
half minutes distance of one hundred and
seventy five feet; boiling hot 1t Is, and sew
eral thousand tons must be emitted each
time. Then the Fountain, a very fine gey-
ser, which sends up its stream every four
hours. is very beautiful spectacle, but
gives forth fearful roaring noise. There
are already some eight hundred and sew
enty of these wonderful phenomena of
nature discovered and named, though only
one other Is mentioned, the Morning Glory,
which resembles that flower and Is a beauty
indeed. The water is as clear as crystal
and reflects all the colors of the rainbow.
The water is so Gear that you may see to a
depth of sixty feet.
We went to the Yellowst tone lake, a
lovely body of water fifteen miles wide by
thirty long, studded with numerous beauii, |
full islands and jets of hot water and steam
shooting up here and there. II | were to |
attempt to describe our luck at trout fishing |
you would accuse me of romancing, and |
pronounce my statement ''fsby," and
will simply state that inside of four hours
We took, with line and pole more than one
hundred that would weigh from one and a
half to four and half pounds each.
l could not in one letter tell you the
hundredth part of Whist we bave seen and
lone within the month we have been away
from home
Regards to the boys and the bully old
Screamer that has done so much to build
Up the best town in the United States.
Soto voce: Marsh Murdoch and MS
EAGLE have done more than any hundred
others put together to make Wichita what
: Is. an glad that he can see and realize
he effects Of the good work be has done.
dy conviction is that you VIII hayes boom
here next fall and winter that viii make
our hair stand On end. T. G. 5.